The parents of an insulin-dependent 20-year-old diabetic woman who died in an Texas jail cell after a licensed nurse ignored her pleas and refused to help released a surveillance video of her death Thursday in hopes it will bring about changes in the “prison for profit” industry.

“We want to see things change in jails everywhere. Morgan had a family that loved her,” Jennifer Houser, the mother of Morgan Angerbaur said.

“This has to change. Nobody deserves to die like that.”

Morgan Angerbaur

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Morgan Angerbauer, 20, was booked into Bi-State Justice Building in Texarkana in the afternoon of June 28 for violation of her probation for possession of drugs – the same jail we reported on last month where guards killed a man on camera who told them multiple times, “I can’t breathe.”

She was found dead in her cell three days later on July 1 after a jailhouse nurse refused to administer a blood sugar test – despite the fact Angerbauer banged on her cell door over several hours asking to get her blood tested.

Brittany Johnson, the licensed vocational nurse who refused her requests for blood tests, has since been charged with negligent homicide, a misdemeanor.

In the days leading to her death when they did test her blood, Angerbauer’s glucose readings were so high they exceeded the jail’s equipment’s testing range.

But she was never taken to the hospital.

The video shows Johnson, who admitted she refused to check on Angerbauer’s blood sugar, finally entering the cell at 4:12 a.m. after previously ignoring several of her cries for help.

Brittany Johnson

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Angerbauer’s last dose of insulin was administered at 5:30 a.m. on June 30.

At 10:30 a.m., nurse Tiffany Venable, documented Angerbauer’s blood sugar at 74, which is within the normal range of 70-110.

“Johnson also admitted that she was fully aware of the severity of Angerbauer’s medical diabetic situation, but rather than treat her, she told her that things don’t work that way, if you miss your medical call you have to wait until it’s time for your next medical call,” the affidavit for Johnson’s arrest states.

“Johnson told investigators that if she allowed all offenders to do that, she’d never get anything done.”

Angerbauer had been pleading for help throughout the night.

At around 4:00 a.m., trustees at the jail observed Angerbauer laying unconscious in her jail cell and informed medical staff.

At 4:12 a.m., video shows Angerbauer unconscious next to what appears to be vomit when Johnson looks through the glass panel in her cell. At this point, Angerbauer has received no insulin in almost 23 hours.

Johnson appears to yell at Angerbauer, flips the lights off and on, and knocks on the glass window of her jail cell.

About a minute later, a correctional officer opens the door to Angerbauer’s cell for Johnson. She walks in carrying a folder and shakes Angerbauer.

Angerbauer is motionless and doesn’t move or respond.

Nurse Johnson leaves then returns with a tube of glucose used for diabetics and squirts it into Angerbauer’s mouth at around 4:15 a.m.

A correctional officer stands by Angerbauer, attempting to provide support, as she remains motionless and by this time appears completely unconscious.

At 4:37 a.m., Angerbauer’s body appears lifeless, her legs are lopsided, her mouth is open and her head is tilted back.

At this point, nobody on the medical or jail staff bothered to call 911 for medical attention, although one correctional officer appears to be texting as he stands in the doorway.

Paramedics arrive and enter Angerbauer’s cell at 5:06 a.m. just shortly after Johnson decided to administer CPR, using a portable defibrillator.

Emergency personnel is unable to revive Angerbauer. Paramedics leave at 5:10 a.m. just minutes after they arrive.

About a minute later, Johnson closes Angerbauer’s eyes, places an orange sheet over her deceased body and exits the jail cell.

Brittany Johnson, A Licensed Nurse Was Arrested On August 15 For Negligent Homicide, A Misdemeanor, After She Refused To Test Morgan Angerbaur’s Bloodsugar Which An Autopsy Shows Soared To 813 At The Time Of Her Death.

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Johnson has pleaded not guilty to charges negligent homicide. Her next court date, which is set on a trial docket, is in February.

Andy and Jennifer Hauser, the parents of Angerbauer, filed a lawsuit for civil rights violations and wrongful death, which can be seen below or read here.

“It was the most excruciating thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Jennifer Houser said after viewing the video of her daughter’s death. “All of those people, all had cell phones, not one of them thought to call 911.”

“Had they just taken her to the ER in the first 30 minutes, there is a good chance she would’ve lived,” Matthew Campbell, the attorney representing the Houser’s said. “They didn’t follow their own procedures ”

Campbell says Angerbauer should have been taken to the hospital by at least June 29 when several of her blood sugar readings were over 400 and 500 to be treated for ketoacidosis and high blood sugar levels.

The lawsuit Campbell filed on the Houser’s behalf names nurse Brittany Johnson; LaSalle Corrections, the company responsible for managing the Bi-State Jail; LaSalle owners and administrators as well as Johnson’s supervisor, along with 20 John Doe and Jane Doe defendants who failed to call for emergency help, but have yet to be identified.

The Houser’s say they hope the aftermath daughter’s death and their pending lawsuits will prompt the “prison for profit” system to re-evaluate and spark changes in jails across the country.

Angerbauer’s death at the Bi-State jail in Texarkana comes less than a year after inmate Michael Sabbie’s death at the same jail after he was pepper sprayed.

Sabbie complained to correctional officers he could not breathe. But like Angerbauer’s, Sabbie’s pleas for help were ignored by staff at Bi-State jail.

Also the LVN gave Glucose when the patient's glucose was too high. Thus exacerbating Morgan's death. She should have been given insulin, and be sent to the ER for evaluation and fluids. Possibly an ICU admission. When glucose is that high (815 when she died), your body tries to break down fats, and you become acidic thus shutting down your brain and other organs. You cannot breath, cannot see, cannot think logically, and quickly go downhill.

Morgan was in a medical unit cell. If a patient does not show up for their medication or a blood sugar check, they should not be penalized by withholding treatment. The LVN did just that. Instead of checking on the patient, or going into the room to treat Morgan, she said she could not provide care when a patient did not respond because she would get nothing done if she checked on a patient that did not respond when called. What kind of medical professional thinks like that???

But it gets worse. Because Morgan did not respond to the 4:30 call for a blood sugar check, the LVN decides to punish her further, and did not show up for nightly blood sugar checks. (which is what put morgan in that unit to begin with.) The LVN told her, "if you miss your medical call you have to wait until it’s time for your next medical call." When was that next medical call? Because all night long, the LVN did not check one single glucose blood level. Besides the fact that is not the way patients are cared for in a medical unit. When a patient is in crisis, you respond to check on them!!!! If the only thing Morgan required was routine medical care at prescribed times without any other monitoring, she would not have been in a MEDICAL UNIT!!

There is so much missing information that it is hard to decide what was done. Did Morgan eat dinner? Did she get insulin for that meal? Did her glucose level get checked after she ate? It sounds like she did not since the report states she was not checked after her missed medical call for a glucose check. From 4:30pm to 4:30 AM the patient's cry for help was ignored. Which should not happen in a medical unit. You are caring for sick inmates. You are not their warden. You are their nurse. Why she did not act like a nurse, I have not clue, but it definitely caused Morgan to die.

juliebork

Jun 11

She killed that woman. There is no other logical conclusion. I realize the inmate was jailed for violating said probation, but that should not have meant the death penalty. It makes me ill seeing how that nurse had no compassion or ethical code to 'first do no harm.' She needs to lose her license. And the jail needs better training and a policy of hiring RN's, not LVNs. Diabetes is a complex disease to treat, and this LVN did not follow what we are taught about it.

ceravop

Jun 11

This is so wrong on so many levels. This just proves what I have been saying for years. Even so called medical professionals don't understand the intricate nuances of diabetes. Endocrinologist are the folks that specialize in this disease!

Caliallye

Jun 11

Although wishing to be a social activist, I’ve feared ever offering to be deliberately arrested for precisely these reasons....

As to the specifics:

First of all, below 70 (69!) is when you are supposed to start treating for low blood sugar. And many diabetics get symptoms below 80. Especially if one is on insulin, unless you are fortunate enough to have a continuous read meter, a measure of 74 probably means your blood sugar is going to continue to go down.... even if treated once with glucose, because the sugar treatment doesn’t keep up the blood sugar, it just makes it go up quickly...*[1]

Secondly:
And pain or panic can make it soar.... because the body dumps glucose into the system for “fight or flight”

Third:
Having either too low or too high can cause lapses in judgement....people ask if you are drunk.... you slur your speech. Don’t hear things well. Can’t understand instructions. Etc. things the police don’t like...

Fourth:
Once your blood sugar is high, and there’s no one to wake you up, if there is no insulin in your system...you are probably not going to wake up. That’s it, that’s all.*[3]

*1. As a type one diabetic, I have gone with low blood sugar being treated from 180 by the time the emt got there, to under 30 shortly after getting to the hospital....

If for some reason I don’t tune into a raising heart beat, I don’t know I’m low until I start losing my eyesight, due to something that looks like I’ve been “sun dazzled” I used to think I was having “ocular migraines!”
Once a friend commented that I was getting very “sharp,” so I decided to test my blood sugar...it was 34. Because it was just before a concert and I had a lot of things to take care of, I hadn’t noticed anything, except feeling a bit peeved with a few people (who deserved it!)

*3. Lost a dear friend that way....he hadn’t known he was diabetic... he was discovered in a coma, was taken to hospital where he trained Ina comma for several weeks, got out of hospital for a couple of weeks, but he lived alone, and made a mistake (believe me, he wasn’t ready to die!) which is so very common while they are trying to find the right levels for you. And he didn’t have enoug in him to survive the coma again so soon....

Ben Keller

Editor

Jun 11

She faced charges according to Arkansas law, I believe. It happened at the Bi-State Justice Building in Texarkana.